Three Questions You're Already Answering

Let's pause and pray. Ask God to speak to us through His Word. Father, we are eager to hear from you this morning. All week long, we have heard from the world in various ways. We've heard many other voices telling us what we should value, what we should prioritize, what this life is all about.

And so, we've gathered today because we need a word from you. We need you to reshape our hearts, our minds, and our affections. We need you to help us set our hearts on you and our minds on things above. And so, God, we pray for that this morning.

We pray that we would encounter you by your word and by your spirit, and that our lives would be changed and transformed as a result. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen. God has made known to us the path of life. In his presence, there is fullness of joy.

At his right hand are pleasures forevermore. Jesus came that our joy may be full. And as we've seen over the last several weeks, that is what our goal, what our pursuit should be. It should be. Joy in Jesus, but we have a couple of barriers standing in our way.

The fear that we harbor and the lie that we believe. We're afraid that if we live a generous life, we will not have enough for ourselves or for those that we love. And the lie that we believe is that life is all about stuff. It's all about acquiring more and more possessions.

But God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He has shown us and told us the truth that this life is not about acquiring more and more. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Last week we saw that we've been enriched to be generous.

God has given us time and energy, resources and money. He's enriched us in every way to be generous in every way for the good of other people and for the glory of God. So that's where we've been so far. And today we're going to look at a portion of Jesus' most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, here in Matthew 6, 19 through 24.

And in this text, Jesus is going to raise three very important questions. Now, here's what you need to understand. Most of the time, when you get asked a question, you're going to take some time to think about it, and then you're going to give your answer. That's especially true when you get asked something that you've never been asked before.

Never heard the question before, you're gonna have to take some time to think about it. You might have to do some research, you're gonna wanna pray about that, and then at some later point, you're going to answer that question. But what's unique about these questions that Jesus raises in this text is that you're already answering these questions.

You're already answering these questions by the way that you're living your life. And so, let's look at these three questions. Take a look on the screen. Are you storing up treasure in heaven or on earth? Are you saturated with light or with darkness? And are you serving God or money?

Okay, we're already answering those three questions. And so, let's work through the text and through each of those questions this morning and see what God is showing us. Okay, let's look at that first question: Are you storing up treasure in heaven or on earth? Look at the text, Matthew chapter 6, verse 19.

Jesus says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves. Thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

You may remember a couple of weeks ago we looked at the parable of the rich fool in Luke chapter 12. And at the end of the parable, Jesus said that a foolish person lays up treasure on earth and is not rich toward God. Well, here in Matthew 6, Jesus explains why it's foolish to lay up treasures on earth rather than in heaven.

There's two reasons. First, we want our treasures to last. And second, we want our hearts in heaven. We want our treasures to last and we want our hearts in heaven. So, first, we should lay up treasures in heaven because we want them to last. You and I already know earthly treasures don't last.

Over time, moths will eat through the most expensive clothes on the planet. Over time, rust will destroy the most expensive vehicles on the planet. Things wear out. They don't last forever. And that's only if they don't get stolen first. A lot of you already know, during our engagement and the first year of our marriage, Kendra and I were robbed four separate times.

Both of our cars, my car, her car, then our house. And when the thieves robbed our house, they took every piece of technology and my lawnmower. I'll let you decide whether that was a blessing or a curse. They took all of that stuff. That stuff is replaceable, but they also took irreplaceable things, like Kendra's grandmother's jewelry.

Never got that back. Can't get that back. You see, laying up treasures on earth is foolish. Because whatever thieves don't steal is going to be destroyed by moths and rust. That's true for everything. But thankfully, that's not true in heaven. In heaven, there are no thieves. There's no rust.

There's no moths. There's no mosquitoes. I trust. Or maybe they're sanctified mosquitoes. They come and give you the blood of life. Don't go beyond that. That's not in the Bible. If we want our treasures to last, we need to lay them up in heaven. And we lay them up in heaven, as we saw a few weeks ago, by investing in the things of God.

So, first, we want our treasures to last. Second, we should lay up treasures in heaven because we want our hearts in heaven. That's what Jesus says. He says right here, verse 21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. We understand that our hearts and our treasures are bound up together.

We understand that principle. We invest in whatever we value, and we value whatever we invest in. That's how that works. So, you might value squishmallows, or computer games, or music, or clothes, or cars, or food and drink, or travel. You might value the local church, or missions, or ministry to the poor and the homeless, or evangelism.

But it is true across the board: whatever you value, you invest in it. And the more you invest in anything, well, the more you value it. So, Jesus. Jesus commands us to store up treasure in heaven, not simply because earthly treasures wear out. That is true. But Jesus commands us to store up treasures in heaven because our hearts and our treasures are bound together.

They are inextricable. And we want our hearts and eventually our souls and our bodies in heaven. So because that's true, we should store up treasures in heaven. The more treasure we store up in heaven by investing in the things of God, the more we value the things of God.

And the more we value the things of God, the more treasure that we are going to invest there. So we should store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. And friends, the truth is, we are already doing one or the other. Last week in 2 Corinthians 9, we saw that we've been enriched in every way.

We have been given, every one of us, a certain amount of time, more or less. We've been given a certain amount of energy, more or less. We've been given a certain amount of resources and money, more or less. We have been enriched in every way, and God has called us to steward whatever he has entrusted to us.

So I want you to look at these commands from the scripture and see what God says about these things. Look at Ephesians 5. Look carefully, then, how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Look at Romans 12.

Do not be slothful in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Look at Luke 12. Jesus says, sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old and with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

God has enriched us in every way. And friends, every single day of the week, we are making choices about where to invest what God has entrusted to us. By our choices, we are either storing up treasures in heaven or treasures on earth. What does your life say? Do your choices say, I am storing up treasure in heaven or treasure on earth?

By the way that you're spending your time and your energy, your money and your resources, you are already. Answering that question, is it the answer that you want? Now let's consider that second question: Are you saturated with light or with darkness? Look at verse 22. The eye is the lamp of the body.

So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? Now these are some challenging verses. What does Jesus mean when he says the eye is the lamp of the body?

One thing you need to know is that Jewish people use the term eye and heart interchangeably. And my mother was not Jewish, but she did this too. When I was growing up and my mom knew that I wanted something, she would say one of two things. She would say, you've got your eye set on that.

Or she would say, you've got your heart set on that. And she meant the same thing with both expressions. So to the Jews and my Gentile mother, the eye and the heart, same thing. So when Jesus said, The eye is the lamp of the body, he's talking about what we are focused on, what we're fixing our gaze on, what our hearts desire.

That's what he's talking about. He's saying, wherever we fix our gaze, that's going to affect the rest of our body. And we already know that. Think about when you're watching TV and a commercial for a restaurant comes on. What happens to your body as you watch the commercial?

Your mouth might start watering. Your stomach might start growling. Think about times that you've watched a suspenseful movie. What happens to your body? You tense up. Your heart starts beating faster. Your palms might start sweating. The eye is the lamp of the body. Because whatever we look at affects the rest of our bodies.

And in the context here, what Jesus is doing is he's using this as a metaphor to teach that whatever we focus on, whatever we fix our gaze on, that's going to affect the rest of our lives. That's what he's saying here. And so, what that means is, if we fix our eyes on the things of the world, then our lives are going to be filled with darkness.

Why? Because we're going to start to value and desire. The things of the world. Those values and desires are going to be shaped by the world, and we're going to store up treasure on earth rather than treasure in heaven. But if we fix our eyes on things above, then our lives are going to be filled with light.

Why? Because that's going to shape our values and desires. We're going to store up treasure in heaven, and as a result, our life is going to be filled with light. So every day we're fixing our gaze somewhere. We are fixing our gaze on someone or something. And that decision is causing our lives to be darker and darker, or brighter and brighter.

Now you might say, that might be true. But I'm not focused on sinful things. Let's look at verse 22 again. Jesus says, the eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. I want you to think about that for a moment.

Jesus says, if your eye is healthy. When it comes to where we fix our gaze, Too many Christians are only asking the question: is this sinful? Is this allowable? They're not asking the question, is this healthy? A child asks, may I eat candy for dinner? Because they just want to know if they have permission.

They just want to know if it's allowed. A child is not asking, is this healthy? Would this be a good choice for me in the long run? But a wise, mature adult doesn't ask, may I eat candy for dinner? You're an adult, you can eat whatever you want.

No, a wise, mature adult asks, is this healthy? Is that going to be a good choice for me in the long run? And when it comes to the things of the world, too many Christians are just asking the question, is this sinful? Is it allowed? They're not asking, is this healthy for me?

So look at what Paul says, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. So, I want to ask you to consider two areas of your life: what you look at on your screen and what you listen to in your headphones.

What you look at on your screen, what you listen to in your headphones. Because what we look at and what we listen to, in other words, what we focus on, that shapes our desires. It shapes our values. It shapes ultimately the way that we live our lives as Christians in this world.

So, think about what you watch. The shows that you watch are painting a picture of the good life. They're saying, You should desire this. You should want this. You should value this. You should work for this. Think about your favorite online retailer. They're sending you the message: you will be happy when you own this product or when you have this experience.

Think about the social media accounts that you follow. They are saying, This is the good life. This is what your life should look like. If your life doesn't look like this, you need to acquire more, spend more, do more until your life looks like this. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

Now, think about what you listen to. What you listen to in your headphones. We would love to think that we are perfectly rational creatures. And when it comes to making decisions in our life, the way that we think that it works or the way that we tell ourselves that it works is that there is a decision before us.

And we, in a very unbiased, removed way, consider carefully the pros and the cons of that decision, and then we make a rational choice. But friends, we know that that's not true a lot of the time. The heart wants what it wants. And then our brains rationalize doing what we feel like doing.

Many people today listen to music and podcasts all day long, and that includes a lot of professing Christians. But a lot of the music that's out there is sending the message that love is God. And that sexual fulfillment is the highest pursuit in this life. A lot of podcasts out there are not teaching biblical ideas about masculinity and femininity.

They're not. A lot of podcasts out there are teaching untrue and uncharitable ways of looking at the political right or the political left. A lot of podcasts out there are spewing crazy conspiracy theories that do not promote faith in God, they promote fear, which is not how Christians are supposed to live.

So we might say, if your ear is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. Brothers and sisters, are you saturated with light or with darkness? You're already answering the question by where you're fixing your gaze, what you're focused on. If your eye and your ear are healthy, your whole life is going to be filled with light.

But if your eye is bad, your whole life is going to be filled with darkness. So let's make sure that we're not just asking the question as Christians: is this sinful? But rather, is this healthy? Let's conclude with the final question that Jesus raises. Are you serving God or money?

Verse 24. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Now, you might be tempted to think, I don't know. A lot of people have two jobs.

They have two bosses. It's hard, but it's doable. Well, that's not the right comparison. When Jesus uses the words serve and master, he is using the imagery of slavery. And slaves were purchased, which meant that the master owned all of their time. You can work for two different bosses, you can have two different jobs, but you cannot be the slave.

Of two different masters. That's not possible. No one can do it. No one means me, and no one means you. Jesus does not say you shouldn't try to serve two masters. He doesn't say it's not a good idea to serve two masters. He doesn't say, it's really hard to serve two masters.

He says, you cannot do it. Oh, but we've tried, haven't we? So many people have tried to serve God and money. We are all convinced that we will be the exception, as if Jesus actually said, nobody but you can serve God and money. Other people can't do it, but you can.

Friends, I am persuaded by both pastoral and personal experience that trying to serve God and money is not just wrong and impossible. Trying to serve God and money is one of the greatest sources of anxiety and unhappiness in our lives. The reason that so many of us lack joy, the reason that so many of us don't experience the fullness of joy that Jesus intends, is that we are.

Trying to serve God and money when Jesus says it simply cannot be done. He's very clear. He says, you're going to hate one master and you're going to love the other. You're going to be devoted to one and you're going to despise the other. I want you to think about that word devoted.

That word means loyal. You're committed to giving your time and your resources to a person or a cause. You can only be devoted, you can only be loyal to one master. And what that means is, we're either serving God or money. And as we all know, it is not as simple as saying, I serve God, not money.

That's the right starting point. But now we have to make the decision moment by moment, every day of our lives, to actually choose to serve God rather than money. Scientists have told us that multitasking is impossible. I don't know how many of you are second screeners, but this is the phenomenon where you are watching TV and you have a second screen in your hand and you think you're doing both of them simultaneously.

Well, scientists will tell you. You, that's actually not possible. The human brain cannot do two complex tasks at the same time. You can walk and chew gum, most of us, but we can't do things like watch TV and read a blog post. We can't listen to a sermon and digest that while studying for class.

We can't do two complex things at the same time. You're not doing two things at once, your brain is rapidly switching back and forth between the two tasks. And it's the same thing when we try to serve God and money. You cannot do those things at the same time.

You can serve God or you can serve money. You can run back and forth between the two of them, but you cannot do both of those things simultaneously. You have to choose. And that's exactly what Jesus told the rich man in Mark chapter 10. You might be familiar with this story.

This man runs up to Jesus. He kneels down in front of him and he says, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He seems totally passionate, like, I will do whatever you tell me to do. So Jesus reminds him, well, if you're asking me what you need to do, you should already know the answer to that question.

You have to keep all of God's commandments all the time. That's what the law says. If you're asking, what do you need to do to be saved? All you have to do is be perfect. You've got to obey all of God's commandments perfectly all the time. And the rich man tells Jesus that he's done that since he was a child.

Okay? Look at what happens next, Mark chapter 10. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, You lack one thing. Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me. Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

See, the rich man believed that he could do the impossible, that he could serve God and money at the same time. He believed he could be devoted to God and devoted to his money and possessions. And so, out of love, Jesus showed him that he could not do both.

He had to choose between storing up treasure in heaven or storing up treasure on earth. He had to choose between serving God and serving money. And the same thing is true for us, friends. We have to choose between serving God and serving money. And in reality, we are already doing it.

We've already answered the question: are you serving God or money by the way that we're living our lives? And so understand: when you think about that question, am I serving God or money? I don't want you to think about it like a theology quiz. As though I've handed you a scantron and I've said, true or false, I should serve God rather than money.

And you're like, oh, I know I need to mark true. That's not what we're asking here. What I want you to think about is what people are going to say at your funeral. Are they going to celebrate the fact that you made the best use of your time, your years on earth, because you devoted yourself to serving God?

Are they going to celebrate your zeal for the Lord, your zeal for serving and blessing other people around you? Are they going to celebrate the fact that you cheerfully and generously gave your money and your possessions to advance the kingdom of God? The eulogy tells the truth. Funerals tell the truth.

We all have aspirations. Values, but it comes down to what we actually do with our lives. Friends, we want to be people who are remembered as those who stored up treasure in heaven, as those who were saturated with light and not with darkness, and as those who served God and not money.

And we want to be remembered that way because that's who we really were: Christians who loved God and devoted our lives to pursuing joy in Him. Friends, this is a hard word. It was obviously hard for the rich man in Mark 10. He went away sorrowful because he loved his money and possessions more than he loved God.

But it was just as hard of a word for Jesus' followers. Look on the screen at what Mark records next. This is after the rich man walks away. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.

And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the Eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

And they were exceedingly astonished and said to him, Then who can be saved? You see, the disciples took it for granted that wealth was a blessing with no drawbacks, no downsides, and certainly no spiritual risk. But they were wrong. And if we think that way, we're wrong too.

One of the first truths that we learned in this series is that money is deceitful. It leads us to believe that we're serving God when we're really serving money. That's why the rich man saw no discrepancy when he ran up to Jesus. He thought he could keep all of that, his love for money and his love for stuff, and serve God also.

And so the disciples, when this man walks away sad and Jesus says how hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven, that's why they respond, then who can be saved? Friends, these are fishermen. These are ordinary people. A lot of these guys were not wealthy by the world's standards, and they hear Jesus' words: it's so hard for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

And they say, Then who can be saved? Look at Mark 10:27 on the screen. Jesus looked at them and said, With man, it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God. See, it's impossible to serve God and money, and it is impossible for us to save ourselves.

We are all like the rich young ruler asking, What do I need to do to be saved? He assumed that he had to do something. We naturally assume that we have to do something too. And so, Jesus' response to all of us could be summarized: stop trusting in your money and your possessions.

Trust in me instead. Come and follow me. That is the invitation to every one of us to trust not in our wealth and our possessions, not in the safety that it. Promises us, not in the security that it promises us, not in the salvation that it promises us, but to trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who not only promises to save us, but does save us, because he did what the rich man only thought he had done.

Jesus actually did keep every one of God's commandments from his youth. He never disobeyed God's word in thought, in attitude, in intention, in word or in deed. He obeyed perfectly. He offered himself in the cross, on the cross in our place. He died, he was buried, and he rose again for people like us.

For people who are not only tempted to trust in wealth and possessions, but who actually do trust in wealth and possessions over and over again. We fall into that temptation. And so, friends, we are being invited today, whether for the first time or the millionth time, to trust not in wealth, not in money, not in possessions, but in Jesus alone, who promises and offers salvation and the life of joy now and in eternity that we are all longing for.

Let's trust in Him today. Let's pray. Father, we know that by our actions, we're already answering these questions. We are storing up treasure somewhere. And I pray that we would store up treasure in heaven, not just because we want it to last, but because we want our hearts to be in heaven.

We're already filling ourselves with light or with darkness. So we pray, Lord, that you would help us to fix our eyes on things above, to set our minds on things above, that we might be filled with light, that our values and desires and priorities would be shaped by you and your word and your spirit, not by the world.

God, we pray that we would serve you and not be deceived into thinking that we're serving you when we're really serving money and possessions. Oh, God, set us free. We want to accept. Experience the freedom that is promised in Jesus Christ. We want to experience the joy of living for you and not for this world.

Help us. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.